China has let it be known its Chang'e-4 lander will touch down on the dark side of the moon some time in 2018.
State-directed organ Xinhua reports that the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense has picked the year after next for its landing.
Chang'e-4 will land on the dark side and stay …

Re: ..so long as they don't disturb the alien base.

Had to...

I know I know. But it was in the Floyd pictured album in eclipse where the text ""There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark." came from. Shall we keep it as the FAR side of the moon then?

Re: Had to...

Re: Had to...

I believe Mission Control's colour scheme is really funky. Every time you try to operate one of the weird black controls, which are labeled in black on a black background, a small black light lights up black to let you know you've done it.

My personal view is that you would have to travel outside of the furthest orbit of any planet's moon(s) to really count as an interplanetary journey, but I'm not sure that's the widely accepted definition.

As a matter of fact,

玉兔 (Yutu - English translation : Jade Rabbit) did not «br[eak] down completely after a couple of months' operation» While the rover found itself unable to as planned move its solar panels to the insulating position during Lunar nights, thus exposing internal components to the lunar cold, as of the end of October 2015 it was still transmitting and had set the record for the longest operational period of any lunar rover. Is it too much to ask that Mr Sharwood checks the facts of the matter before posting articles to the Reg ?...

Re: Bah!

That depends on whether you get your "vision" from science fiction, or if you are interested in actual science. Operating rovers on the moon for more than a few days is challenging because of the large temperature variations, and nothing has landed on the far side yet. They will need an orbiter for communications.

Re: Bah!

Re: Bah!

That's where the Chinese advantage is. Being on the far side of the earth, they can see the far side of the moon.

Consider; we here on the near side of the earth can see the near side of the moon; but we can see neither the far side of the moon, nor the far side of the earth. Obviously the situation is reversed in the case of China.